Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-11-12


Array--A Startling Sight-Night Work.
Rigid Discipline.
Bang went gong at Q o'clock in the
evening in palatial dry goods emporium
on Sixth avenue. Instantly 1900 EN-
ployes stopped work.
what means this commotions" asked
a reporter of the manager
That bell notifies our army that they
are to get ready 10 close up" was the re-
ply. I'm moment you will hear the
gong strike twice. That means to cover
up the shelves and counters. Three bells
will ring after that, and all those who are
not waiting on customers in the dress
goods department will go home Four
bells sends down the attendants on the
upper floor and five bells empties the
house of ali but the cash girls. Wait until
they form in line 1t is n sight"
The reporter waited until the gong rang
six times. Instantly the ties Of rigid but
necessary discipline We're cut, and the lit
tie ones formed in squads. Such cy-
clone of voices and crowding for place. 1t
reminded the observer Of a college cane
rush.
..Those girls are as hard to control as q
regiment Of boys" said the good natured
manager 1T seems incredible that in
their anxiety TO obtain desirable places in
the line they can be so rough. We dislike
doing it, but we are sometimes obliged TO
discharge a few of them for their rough
conduct. These girls are all over the age
of IA years, and they must be furnished
with a certificate from a schoo. teacher
before we employ them"
At given signal one squad marched
past the other. There were no careworn
faces in the ranks. They all went past
smiling, winking or slyly making faces ut
the other squad.
''Oh, they went out first last night"
cried little one in the company left be-
hind. II don't think that's fair
But il was fair: for the first outgoing
squad at evening was the first to arrive in
the morning. Equal division of labor Is
the motto Of the firm, and the Biblical
quotation OF 1.-The last shall be first is
not carried out.
STARTLING SIGHT.
Twenty minutes after the first bell rang
the long aisles were in darkness, with the
exception of here and there dim light at
each end of the room. The supcrinten
dent and the journalist inspected the
premises. In going through the suit de-
partment startling sight met the repor-
ter's eyes. A row of graceful forms
dressed in costumes worth hundreds of
dollars were there before the store closed;
but on the return trip they had been dis
robed and nothing remained of their for
mer splendor but paper bustles. A wire
form wearing paper hustle in dimly
lighted room produces a ghosily effect,
and Mr. Thorne said "he was not sur
prised at the visitors timidity."
The sound of female voices was heard
singing plaintive negro melody, trsy.
..' That comes from the work room on the
top. floor" said the guide. "We some
times keep the dressmakers at work until
midnight altering cloaks and dresses
bought during the day. OF course we pay
them literally for all extra work"
The basement of dry goods store at
night is busy place. In the delivery de-
partment clerks We're busy as bees check
ing off the Packages and depositing them
in the boxes Of the drivers, who stuffed
their wagons with them until the sides
bulged out.
.'These are the cloak rooms" said the
pointing to long row OF
stalls with n square opening i'm eacn door.
Here the clerks deposit their hats.
cloaks and lunch sachels, and receive a
check for them. One of the reasons for
sending the employees home in squads is to
avoid confusion here"
This is our head night watchman."
said the superintendent HE is good
man TO keep away from after dark. He
is n walking arsenal and makes it very
for those who try to make
his acquaintance at night" He has p
large force under him and they are all
well armed. Their duties are to close the
premises and protect it until daylight.
They sweep out the stores and dust every
nook and corner in the building. A squad
Of paint cleaners follow the sweepers.
They clean the stools and counters thor
oughly. The most delicate colored fabric
would not be injured by coming in contact
with the woodwork after they get through
with it. All night long the men worked
stopping at midnight for supper
tnd an hours well earned rest The
on the outside Of the building
we're relieved and went inside for smok-
ny hot supper supplied them 10y the lib
;ral proprietor.
Just as daylight came tumbling through
the eastern windows the great iron shut
ters were raised. The noise sounded like
the Changing Of anchor chains on man.
D'-war. The back windows were opened
and the dust blown out. The advance
guard of clerks began to arrive The
white robes Of the counters were removed
and folded up and the bashful wire forms
we're oEce more arrayed in presentable at
ire. Customers began 20 drift ill., The
ong night had passed and new days
business had begun.-New York Evening
sun.
Surgery In the Hospitals.